Caring Soul and a Lost Man
by ACrazyEngineer
Summary: [Discontinued] The last thing the Winter Soldier thought he was going to get was help. Much less help belonging to pretty blue eyes... Kagome just had a "saving people" thing, which didn't help much. But she was caring and he was lost: they just fit well together. (And maybe a bit too well, others would figure out.)
1. Chapter 1

Cold, hungry, and exhausted wasn't a good mix, apparently. The Winter Soldier thought passively.

Awake with no food for a day, right after a long period of combat left one in terrible condition, even for a trained assassin like himself. It wasn't fun.

That's also why he was collapsed in an alleyway, as far away from possible from D.C. as he could get, because he _just didn't have the energy left to run._ _He_ _ **failed**_ the mission, _his_ target had confused _him_ for someone else, and _he_ _ **saved**_ _his_ _ **target**_ instead of eliminating him.

It had been a bizarre day. _-Oh, and he ditched_ _ **HYDRA**_ _._

...At this point all he was hoping for was to be left alone to recuperate, to avoid attention.

"Eh? Are you alright?" -Looks like that wasn't going to happen.

The Winter Soldier felt a hand _(-a light, soft hand-)_ flutter over his pulse point. He then heard a sharp sigh of relief. The foreign appendage moved to his face, lightly patting his cheek.

"Sir, can you hear me?"

Did whoever it was even realize that walking up to a stranger in a dark alleyway, and attempting to get near them was a very, very bad idea? (Much less to a trained assassin, but it's not like they would know.)

"Sir?"

The Winter Soldier groaned (-to which he would never admit-) in response, shifting away from whoever it was. Danger or help be damned.

"Do you need he- _Okay, you_ _ **definitely**_ _need help."_ The stranger shifted into Japanese, which he noted in muted surprise. Maybe they finally noticed cuts and bruises littering his figure.

The Winter Soldier cracked an eye open, trying to focus on the person in front of him. The stranger who, despite the total lack of self-preservation, was contemplating helping him.

It was a pretty dame, with a pretty face, and pretty blue eyes.

Very, _very_ pretty blue eyes.

It was at this point the Winter Soldier fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Total word count: 319

I own nadda.

It may not be the prettiest work of mine, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I also finished this in one sitting, which surprised me. Also, this is placed _before_ Bucky visits the Smithsonian.

If you would like to see more of it, review (or follow or favorite)!


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome, at this point in her life, wasn't as sentimental as some. She left the nest that was her old home as quick as she could, only bringing with her money, ID, and a change of clothes.

Shortly thereafter; traveling around Japan, and soon the world. Yes, one could consider her to have a serious case of wanderlust.

But the one thing she did keep and take with her everywhere with her _helping people thing_. Her very dangerous helping people thing. (How many times has she been called a witch? _1, 2, 3... 7, 8_ -too many to count.)

So when she saw a man collapsed in an alleyway a few blocks from her apartment, that _damned_ saving people thing compelled her to help. **_Goddam-!_**

"Eh?" _-Stupid verbal tick-_ "Are you alright?" She called out, standing at the entrance of the dark corridor.

Blue eyes flickered around the scene, as Kagome took a few cautious steps forward. Nothing seemed amiss... (Other than, ya know, the guy collapsed in the alley.)

She took a braver step, keeling down about arms distance away. (His, not her's. Because safety, right?) He didn't even shift...

Her brows furrowed. _Is he dead?_

She shimmied closer, lightly touching the side of the man's neck to feel for a pulse. It was there. A breath she didn't know she had been holding escaped her lungs. _Good, he's not dead. But unconscious isn't much better._

Feeling a bit bolder, she lightly clapped his cheek, continuing with: "Sir? Can you hear me?"

Kagome retracted her hand, watching cautiously. _Well this is turning out to be a weird day..._ Her head cocked slightly, a mix of hope and curiosity bleeding into her voice. "...Sir?"

The figure suddenly groaned, twisting away from her, backing up to the wall. In doing so, revealing a multitude of not-too-severe-but-still-questionable wounds. To which she stumbled forward in surprise. _What in the world happened to you?!_

She then noticed the very-not-so-good wounds (and the busted lip, and the cut cheekbone, and the metal arms, - _ohmyKami-sama who was this guy?-_ ), and the words tumbled out of her mouth. "Do you need he- _Okay, you **definitely** need help._"

(She switched back to her native tongue when she was nervous, okay?)

One of the man's eyes lazily open, and her own instinctively widened.

 _Then_ he promptly passed out. _Great..._

Why was she doing any of this? _Right, right, her **helping people thing...**_

Kagome let out a huff of inner defeat, and grabbed the man's arm, lifting it over her shoulder, dragging the body up. (She either could lift more than she thought or he was surprisingly light.)

 _Now to get you to my apartment without being seen,_ she thought with a grimace. _Fun._

* * *

TWC: 454.

You ask and you shall receive! I hope you like it!

Note, for any new readers that aren't familiar with my writing style, I use italics ( _this_ ) to represent thought. Only italics, no quotes ("") or apostrophes(''). It is not thought when italics appear in quotes: it's usually to show sarcasm or stressing a word or something. Or, if it appears in regular text without any punctuation ("." or "," or ":" or ";") it is also not thoughts.

And Kagome will be... _different,_ than her cannon counterpart. For reasons you will (probably) soon read.

Thanks for reading! Hope you review, follow, or favorite! Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

The Winter Soldier was quite aware that HYDRA was not the type to spend on luxuries. Like a nice mattress or good pillows -the occasional mission that required a hotel room let him compare.

So the pillow beneath his head and the cushion he was laying on was confusing him, to say the least. _So,_ he decided to wait and listen.

There is a hum of a TV and the muffled sound of ruffling paper. _There's a person nearby,_ he noted, _but they don't sound close._ He took a gamble by opening his eyes.

And the Winter Soldier observed.

It was a an off-white room, either dirty, painted that way, or a mix of both. At his head was a doorway leading to a small, cramped kitchenette. At his feet was a sturdy looking door, probably the front door. Underneath him was a couch, right in front of the TV he heard before.

Where the person was, he did not know.

He cautiously sat up, looking behind him. There were two doors and a covered window. It wasn't a very good vantage point, which unsettled him slightly.

Actually, the whole thing unsettled him. Where were the scientist to observe him? Or the cold machines that he would be strapped onto? He soundlessly got up, focusing in on the wrestling sound. Maybe he could get some answers.

The Winter Soldier followed the sound into the kitchen, peering over the edge of the door.

A table sat at the far end of the room, on which a computer and a person were stationed. The same person with those blue eyes that saved him.

She was reading a newspaper _(in English)_ , holding a cup.

And then those eyes turned on him.

"Glad to see you're awake."

* * *

After dumping mystery man on the couch, and stuffing a pillow under his head, Kagome decided to take a rest. A rest which really only included tea and any news paper she got her hands on.

It was particularly sweet tea, she noted, being a random one she chose from her drawer of tea in an attempt to find a relaxant quickly. But she had gotten used to the taste quickly.

The paper she had was, for once, the one released that morning. It's headlines could be summed up to "Chaos in Washington D.C.!" with subsequent pictures detailing aforementioned chaos.

Kagome only skimmed it, knowing well enough not to trust the first wave of details too much. The page was flipped, and as expected on the same subject.

 _I'm bored already,_ she mused dimly, _it seems like everyday something big happens._

At this point she was only skimming through the headlines, and quickly turning the page once again, taking another sip of tea.

 _And everything else that would have been written about today will be lost or pushed back a month!_ She cried in their head, but giving a verbal sigh. _Oh well..._

Another sip of tea was taken. The world was changing in large ways, but she was tired of it already, oddly enough...

Kagome then noticed the very faint sound of feet hitting hardwood floors covered by a rug. (Yes, she could tell, she had been trained very well.) Her impromptu guest was up.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as an, admittedly handsome, face peered around the corner, his eyes focusing in on her.

Kagome's own shifted to look at him directly, attempting to not look like a complete fool for what she said next.

"Glad to see you're awake."

* * *

I've decided not to comment on my overuse of hyphens, or commas. (But I guess I just did...) This was also going to be a longer chapter, but I needed to release one soon.

Sorry it's later than usual, but I've been busy.

Now not really a two shot. I'll try to make this into an actual story!


	4. Chapter 4

Kagome inwardly winced. _There went first -well, second- impressions,_ she thought, watching Mystery Man freeze in his place.

On the other hand, the Winter Soldier's mind was stalling (which _never_ happened.) One part of him commanded to kill any witnesses, while a second wished him to stay and see what would happen. (And _another_ part suggested to run away: this person was clearly _not_ sane.)

He unclenched his metal hand, which had curled up into a fist, mind deciding rather quickly on what to do.

Kagome observed silently with wide eyes as the man with the metal arm stalked to her window, and shut the blinds quickly, leaving the irritating off-white light left overhead. The grip on her tea tightened, ready to use the still hot (but not too hot) liquid as a defense as need be.

Noting the man was focused in on the covered window - _which is weird,_ she thought in passing-, Kagome shuffled out of her chair, and into the kitchen, keeping an eye out for any movement. Why the kitchen and not running out of the house like a sensible person?

 _There's more weapons, that's why._ Was the answer she got, questioning her own mind.

The woman nestled into the corner of the counter-top, right next to the knife block and the sink holding a few pots and pans. Like she thought before: weapons…

She took another sip of tea to settle her jittery mind and body, debating her next steps.

The man seemed oddly focused in on the window. But why would that be? Could he be afraid of light? The outside? No, no, he wouldn't have been in an alley then… Paranoia, maybe? That would make sense: hide in an alleyway (because no _normal_ person really looks down there) to avoid others, and cover a window so no one would see you.

That was probably it, then.

To poke the proverbial giant, she decided to speak.

"No one saw you, if that's what you're wondering." Kagome stated, watching as the man pivoted, pinning her with a heavy stare. Much more on edge (she swears it wasn't of embarrassment either), she continued, fumbling over her words.

"Um-I mean-while getting you to my apartment, where you're at now, no one saw you -cameras too."

The man's dark eyes narrowed, giving her a _you-better-not-be-lying-or- **else**_ look. She took a sip of tea to calm her nerves, and looked ahead. "I'm not lying," was what she amended.

His continued gaze unnerved her, so she set the cup down on the counter and started shuffling around the cupboards slowly, deliberately at that pace to not cause any further harm. She almost had her back to him, but kept the man's figure in her periphery.

He watched (as to what she guessed was) warily, but didn't move.

 _Well at least he's not trying to kill me._ Kagome thought wryly. _But now for the real test._

"Hope you're hungry, I'm making an omelet."

The Winter Soldier only stared.

 _...Is she insane?_

* * *

New chapter! Yay! Hope you like!

Also thank you all for the following/favoriting! It got me to sit and write! I have a reason to do something productive!

(And would any of you like to see a Pokemon Black/White story? It would include an OC…)


	5. Chapter 5

The man hadn't moved, even when a plate of her own home cooked meal -which was _delicious,_ she would have to say- slid in front of him. He hadn't done much of anything, really, hadn't twitched a _muscle_.

Which put a damper on her mood. Her already half-constructed mood put up to block the person underneath from freaking out. Like, _the oak table has been flipped over_ and _crazed giggling_ freaked out.

Kagome has seen many things in her long-ish life, but sometimes… (The "sometimes" being a man that, _she swore to the Kami_ , each time her back was turned -granted, not the greatest idea ever- his gaze was on her.)

 _Sometimes_ it was a bit too much.

(And it now seems she was the one that was paranoid, _not him_.)

He just stood there, arms crossed, at the end of the table, eyes straight ahead. Like a statue -with a metal arm, of course.

She set her freshly cooked omelet dish down, moving within arm's reach of her guest.

A hand was held out. "I'm Kagome, nice to meet you Mystery Man."

She fully expected to not get a response, but she mind as well try normal social conventions to see where it got her. Which was nowhere in this case, as he just stared at her outstretched limb, facial features contorting _very_ briefly into confusion.

After a second or two of awkward air as her hand was still held up, she dropped it, muttering: "Don't do handshakes, got it."

Kagome plumped back down into her chair, pouting softly like a child, picking at her food, before stuffing some into her mouth. A sigh of content was audible, as more food was consumed. _It's so goooood…_ was the thought that bounced around her head.

(A part of her wondered if it was really that satisfying, or if she just hadn't had any good food for a while.)

Her blue eyes glanced down at the plate in front of him, before shifting up to him. "You better eat that, or I will," she stated, then looking down at what little was left on her own, "I'm serious, it's that good."

He didn't move to take the plate.

She waited a few extra second, before lifting an eyebrow. "...You sure?" Her hand started drifting to the dish, before a glint in the man's eyes appeared.

Kagome slowly retracted her hand, eyes a bit wider, teeth nibbling on her lip slightly, feeling a mixture of guilty and amusement. "Okay then…"

She glanced at the time on the clock suspended on the wall. _It's 9:40-ish… I guess I should get to bed._ She picked up the empty plate, bringing it into the kitchen, and setting it in the sink, before walking into the TV room.

Before walking the threshold, she turned and peered over the doorway like the man had before, then casually mentioning to him: "There's milk in the fridge, and when you're done, scrape what's left into the trash and set everything else into the sink."

He looked up quickly with his eye, looking slightly alarmed, but didn't move to stop her. She tried to hide a smile, but she was quite sure Mystery Man saw it. He was easier to read then he thought.

Kagome actually smiled, and said a soft voice, "good night."

(But of course she had a baseball bat in her room, just in case it wouldn't turn out to be as "good" a night as she hoped it would be…)

* * *

I'm trying to retain some classic Kagome innocence. It might not turn out well, but I try. I also need to start using more nouns versus the limited list of the ones I am using.

Quick poll: which spelling of the color do you like? "Grey" or "Gray"?

Finished within a day! Feels good!


	6. Chapter 6

The Winter Soldier watched as the woman - _Kagome, she called herself_ \- disappeared around a corner, before looking down at what was situated in front of him.

Well this is a surprise…

It was an _omelet,_ still hot from the pan. He actually doubted it was poisoned, watching her take the ingredients from the fridge, cooking it, and eating from the same batch as him. But she could have an immunity to whatever poison, but so did he, _probably._

Any any other chemical agent that could kill him would definitely kill her first. (She was shorter then him, and had less capillaries for the poison to take affect.)

And honestly, he couldn't see her working for HYDRA (or SHIELD, for that matter.) She seemed too kind, too bubbly, _too trusting_ to be working for them. Her eyes - _oh god, those_ _ **blue eyes**_ \- had pure emotions running through them, nothing faked. _(Well, only after trying to shake hands with him. Before that, she tried to mask her panic -it partially worked.)_

A door shut in the distance.

It was a calling card that made him turn his gaze to the omelet again. With his right hand, he slowly picked up the fork, digging into the food, and taking a hesitant bite. A flavor burst of vegetables and eggs ( _and just a damn home cooked meal)_ entered his head, and he could see why Kagome had liked it so much.

The Winter Soldier tried to pace himself, but what was left vanished in a few moments. He stared at the empty plate, realizing he actually wanted more to eat.

He got up, holding the plate in his right hand, not trusting his left to _not_ break the ceramics with the mechanized force. It was set in the sink, along with the utensil, nothing left to scrape off.

Dragging his now sluggish body _(food + exhaustion = tired)_ into the room with the TV, he collapsed on the couch. _For now,_ she wouldn't be considered a threat. _For now,_ he would accept her help and hospitality. _For now,_ he would figure out everything else tomorrow.

* * *

Last chapter before I go to sleep as well! Kinda short, but I think Bucky wouldn't need too long of a scene in this portion of the story. But more will come in the next mourning of the story.

Quick poll: which spelling of the color do you like? "Grey" or "Gray"?


	7. Chapter 7

When she woke up the next morning without incident, Kagome was pleasantly surprised. Being a slight sleeper when she wanted (or needed) to be, the Mystery Man in her small apartment not doing much of anything during the night was great.

She rolled over on her back, arms splayed out lazily, her left falling into the band of light from her window. After the chaos that was yesterday, all she really wanted to do was disappear. But at least it was Friday...

Kagome sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her right hand, while her left patted down the strands of hair sticking out everywhere. A yawn escaped her lungs, and she stretched out like a cat.

She fell back onto the bed, bringing the sheets closer to her. _I don't want to leave,_ she cried in her head, _it's so comfortable!_ Nowadays, any bed was a good bed.

She sighed, sitting up once again, feet cautiously touching the cool hardwood floor that had not been covered by a rug. Kagome stood up slowly, then stumbled to her closet, opening the folding door with her right hand. A lackluster composition of clothes, shoes, accessories, and makeup greeted her eye.

It was all she really needed: comfortable mix-and-match clothes, sturdy shoes (and one pair of dress ones for any occasions that required it), random odds and ends of fashion, and a very limited amount of makeup for the times she might need it.

Her hand blindly searched the rack of clothes, unhooking a set from the bar: green short sleeve shirt with tan capri pants. She debated on taking a shower before dressing for the day, but decided against it.

Taking a shower while having a guest in the house would be awkward, much less a guest who she didn't know very well- or at all. And she wasn't planning on going outside today anyways.

Kagome tossed her sleep clothes into the hamper located in the closet, stuffing on the outfit. She stretched again, then taking up a brush and combing her hair, not bothering to go into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

She wasn't going out today, so it really didn't matter.

The closet was shut, before she walked over to the door, slowly opening it, peeking out the edge to see if her "guest" was waiting to ambush her.

No one was there, so she opened the gap greater, looking into the living room. He wasn't there either. No on the couch or standing elsewhere.

 _Did he leave?_ Kagome thought, walking into the kitchen, noting the cup of tea sitting forgotten on the countertop. She sighed, _that's going to stain…_

Turning to dump the tea into the sink, she saw a dark figure out of the corner of her eye, causing her to jump: her guest was standing at the end of the table, just like yesterday. Hands gripped the edge of the countertop, as the cup rattled around in the sink. She let out a shaky breath before hissing out in Japanese. " _Don't do that!_ "

And again like yesterday, he stood like a statue. ( _Has he been there all night?_ A part of her wondered.) She turned to him, a hand over her rapidly beating heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

It was as if he didn't care she was there, not giving any response -any note- that he heard her. Kagome crossed her arms, and in a manner much like a child, she said: "You don't talk much, do you Mystery Man?"

The aforementioned man's expression jumped from blankness to irritation to blankness again in quick succession. She doubted the his reaction wasn't to her obvious observation; it was to the title she gave him.

Kagome smirked. "I'm just going to keep calling you that until you tell me your name," she commented nonchalantly.

The Winter Soldier continued to act like she wasn't there, but internally he was debating. What would he say? That he was the Winter Soldier? Nothing at all? The fact that he re-

His mouth opened before he could stop it. "...I don't know... What my name is..."

Her childish air was instantly subdued, taking on sad undertones. Kagome gave a small, if ever so slightly somber smile, before replying. "I can't keep calling you Mystery Man, can I?"

He fell silent once again.

A minute grin affixed her features, as she continued. "Then we'll have to chose a name."

She watched the man's expression carefully, knowing that he was now listening to what she had to say. "How does John sound? Or David? Matt, maybe? Andrew? James?"

His eyes widened at the last one, and Kagome cautiously followed through. "Do you want me to call you James?"

A slow nod was his -James'- responce, and she smiled. "Alright, James, would you like cereal or eggs?"

"…Eggs…"

* * *

A cat on my lap made it hard to write, but she's too cute to move. And I think I'll set a goal to have a chapter posted each weekend day, when I'm actually free and able to write.

Also, the thought that was going to be finished before Bucky talked for the first time was: "the fact that he really didn't know what it was?"

Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites! They make me happy and help me write!

(And would any of you like to see a Pokemon Black/White story? It would include an OC…)


	8. Chapter 8

They sat in relative silence, not unlike last night.

But the Winter Soldier _-I should call myself James; a distant thought-_ was having a hard time thinking about his next course of action. But the act of eating was mechanical. He blinked, and next thing he knew it was all gone.

Curious, he looked up to see what Kagome was doing -food still on her plate, newspaper in hand. ( _A newspaper likely from the pile in the corner,_ James noted, recalling her effort last night to clear the table; the pile of papers being swiped of the surface.) The man then looked away, realizing she might find his staring a bit weird - _if_ she didn't find him like that already.

He glanced around the room, eyes tracing every nook and cranny, able to see things in better definition with natural lighting than he could before. For instance, the hardwood floor that had scuffle marks from use over the years, not refinished recently with a new coat of varnish or sealant. Or the paint that had faded in certain spots, and uneven in others.

 _It must be an older and uncared for apartment,_ James thought. _Probably a short term rental._ He shifted his gaze back at the woman, watching as she rose from her chair and walked into the kitchen with her empty plate.

Kagome opened a cabinet after setting the dirty dishware in the sink, pulling out a coffee brewer and coffee grounds. She bent backwards, looking over the fridge in her way, showing the brand off to her guest. Asking, "would you like some coffee?"

James looked up, and nodded.

The woman returned to her work, setting a pot of water to boil. Dashing the right amount of blend into the container, and pouring the boiling water into the brewer. _The day truly does not start until coffee is brewed,_ she thought. After it steeped, Kagome strained the dregs and poured what was left into two cups. She looked to her guest again. "Anything in your coffee?"

He gave a shake of his head.

 _Good, because I don't have much,_ the woman thought in passing, grabbing the freshly brewed cups, and set them down on the dining room table, the second cup closer to her guest.

James watched as she went to the corner with the newspapers, removed a few from the top of the pile, pulled out a computer monitor and keyboard, and set it on the table. (The computer was also one of the things she cleared off the table last night, he recalled.)

His eyes narrowed, mid starting to reel. _What is she doing?_ Was this strange woman actually a spy, unlike what he had thought earlier? He bit out: "What are you doing?"

Kagome looked over the edge of the screen, momentarily surprised at the hostility. She tapped the edge of the screen. "Work," the woman explained, lifting her cup to further the point. "Why do you think I have this?

She promptly looked back to her monitor, taking a sip of the aforementioned coffee. She tapped in a one-time password, watching as the screen lit up over the rim of her cup. It was true: she did have actual work to finish. A few deadlines were approaching faster than she would have liked.

Setting the cup down, Kagome looked at James once again. _He's not looking to friendly…_ She noted. So the woman decided to explain. "I do a few odd jobs here and there. Translation, code, website, a few other things… If it's on a computer, I probably do it."

The man relaxed (if only slightly) so she turned back to her work. James on the other hand was finding it a hard time keeping up (relatively) unreasonable suspicion. Nothing suspicious had happened in his stay -beyond Kagome letting him, or helping in the first place- and even her job wasn't too odd.

He relaxed, grabbing the coffee that sat only a bit away, and taking a sip. Time passed without much thought.

And they sat.

It was now midday, only the clack of keys to be heard, and James felt strangely at peace. (And for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why.)

* * *

 **Crowdsourcing here:**

 _ **What should the duo do next?**_

I was thinking Kagome could take care of Bucky until he has to leave (maybe due to Hydra coming after him) and then they reunite sometime in the future? And she could possibly be in Sokovia -Avengers AOU battlefield- to save Pietro.

I don't know. What do you think? Suggestions and constructive criticism are/is welcome.

Guest reviews are fine, but only for _this_ chapter.

 **Also, new stories. Possibly. Kinda.**

Would anyone be interested in either a Pokemon - Harry Potter crossover or Pokemon story? Former would include fem!Harry and possible romance, while the latter would include an OC and more-than-likely romance -if I can pull it off.


	9. Discontiue Notice

I would like to apologise for not updating and for not posting any notice about the status of this story any sooner. My silence has been a little unfair to you guys. As you may have been able to tell, I haven't updated this story in a long while. School has been sucking away my will to write.

But beyond that, I'm afraid I have to deliver some unfortunate news:

Due to the progression of the MCU since the time I started this fic, and the effort it would take to make this crossover work within the MCU universe, I've elected to **discontinue** this fic. I really don't like having to abandon stories, but it would be unfair to both you and me if I were to work on a story that I know I would end up disliking or not being able to finish.

Currently, I'm debating whether or not to take this story off of entirely, but I'm going to leave it up for now.

 **However** , If you would like to adopt this story, or to use any of its content (plot, characterizations, premise, etc.) feel free to do so.

I hope despite this note, y'all have a good day!


End file.
